What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Cruising at 10,500 enroute between carlsbad, CA and reno, Nevada, N400MC had a high EGT temperature and the pilot attempted to determine why. The fuel supply was full ( 60 gallons on departure) and fuel flow was normal. The pilot smelled fuel about the sametime as he noticed a high ehaust gas temperature. The engine began to run rough and eventually did not produce power. Emergency off field landing was setup for a highway north of fresno, CA on highway 41 a two lane road. Traffic was moderate and touchdown was on the southbound side of the road. The right wing caught a barb wire fence and stopped. No damage or injury to others. The pilot was uninjured. Substantial damage to the airplane. Further investigation showed that a fuel line was not sufficiently torqued and was most likely the cause of the excessive fuel loss from the tanks. The line was between the engine driven fuel pump and the fuel flow indicator. Closed
As the FAA filed it
CRUISING AT 10,500 ENROUTE BETWEEN CARLSBAD, CA AND RENO, NEVADA, N400MC HAD A HIGH EGT TEMPERATURE AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE WHY. THE FUEL SUPPLY WAS FULL ( 60 GALLONS ON DEPARTURE) AND FUEL FLOW WAS NORMAL. THE PILOT SMELLED FUEL ABOUT THE SAMETIME AS HE NOTICED A HIGH EHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND EVENTUALLY DID NOT PRODUCE POWER. EMERGENCY OFF FIELD LANDING WAS SETUP FOR A HIGHWAY NORTH OF FRESNO, CA ON HIGHWAY 41 A TWO LANE ROAD. TRAFFIC WAS MODERATE AND TOUCHDOWN WAS ON THE SOUTHBOUND SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE RIGHT WING CAUGHT A BARB WIRE FENCE AND STOPPED. NO DAMAGE OR INJURY TO OTHERS. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT A FUEL LINE WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY TORQUED AND WAS MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE FUEL LOSS FROM THE TANKS. THE LINE WAS BETWEEN THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP AND THE FUEL FLOW INDICATOR. CLOSED
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.